Here's every time the world is predicted to end in the future

Astrologers, scientists, religious leaders, and pretty much everyone else you could find, have been predicting doomsday for almost as long as planet earth has been around. Whether it happens as a result of a mass explosion, the second coming of Jesus or an incoming asteroid, people seem sure the world is going to end soon... but luckily for all of us, in spite of the wealth of chilling warnings, the apocalypse itself has never bothered to show up on time.

It tends to be the case that when one Day of Judgement passes unscathed, there is always someone else waiting, all too happy to predict the next one. So, without further ado, here are a few of the theories currently out there about when humankind will meet its end. The good news, though? Every prophecy made so far has been erroneous, so chances are we're good for a few million years to come.

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2020

Jeane Dixon predicted in her book, The Call to Glory, that Armageddon will come in 2020, when the False Prophet, Satan and the Antichrist will rise up and battle man himself. I wouldn't get too nervous about it though, as the noted astrologer has made so many inaccurate predictions - including that cancer would be cured by 1967 and that the Soviets would be first to put a man on the moon - that she genuinely has a psychological phenomenon named after her. The "Jeane Dixon effect" is defined as the tendency to promote a few correct predictions while ignoring a larger number of incorrect predictions. But, hey, when she was right, she was right; Dixon correctly predicted the death of President Franklin Roosevelt, the defeat of Prime Minister Winston Churchill in an election, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, as well as the fact that China would be taken over by communists. Coincidence, or...?

2021

President of the World Bible Society, Dr F Kenton Beshore, believes that the impending rapture actually began a while ago, claiming that World War II and the birth of Israel marked the beginning of the end for humanity. Originally suggesting that Jesus would return in 1988 - within one Biblical generation of the founding of Israel in 1948 - he argues that the prediction was correct, but the definition of a Biblical generation was incorrect and was actually 70–80 years, placing the Second Coming of Jesus between 2018 and 2028 and the Rapture by 2021 at the latest. Is it true? Could we be in the midst of the end of the world and not even know it? I guess we'll find out in a few years time.

2026

The founder of Messiah Foundation International, Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi, joined the bevy of astrologers predicting that the last chapter would come in the 2020s when he claimed that an asteroid was headed for Earth and would get there in 2026. Yet, in spite of minor planet allegedly hurtling straight towards us, it seems there is hope yet... in the form of Shani himself. The "Messiah" states that his image is prominent on the moon, sun, nebula star and the Black Stone in Mecca and these appearances are a sign from God - if you recognise his image, you'll be fine. According to the website 2026: “Images of Lord Jesus Christ and His Sublime Eminence Ra Riaz Gohar Shahi (the Awaited Imam Mehdi, Messiah and Kalki Avatar) are clearly visible on these celestial and terrestrial bodies, and are able to perform many miracles.” Anyone buying it...?

2060

Isaac Newton was a pretty busy guy, what with cracking the laws of gravity and motion, and inventing calculus while he was at it. But it turns out he had time for a few cheeky predictions on doomsday. Apparently, the acclaimed scientist wasn't heavily into pinpointing a date, but stated that the end of the world couldn't possibly happen before 2016. Nonetheless, he apparently threw out a few dates at us including 2034 and 2060, saying that people won’t understand until the end in nigh, but that it won’t necessarily be all bad since the world would be replaced with a new one that would bring divine peace. Now there's a happy thought.

2129

Sunni Muslim theologian, Said Nursî, who wrote the Risale-i Nur Collection, expected the end to come a little later than the others. He allegedly stated that doomsday would come in 2129. Excellent, we'll let our descendants know...

2240

According to Orthodox Judaism, the world is only meant to last up to 6000 years; the Hebrew calendar says that the universe began about 3,760BC, which means that planet Earth is on its last legs and is set to cease existing around 2240. Luckily for some though, the third planet from the sun will make a much-anticipated comeback in the year 3239, so perhaps there's hope for us yet.

2280

According to Egyptian-American biochemist, Rashad Khalifa's research on the Quran, the world will end during 2280. Assassinated in 1990, before he died Khalifa claimed: "Less than a century ago, only God possessed knowledge about television and space satellites, for example. He revealed this knowledge at the predetermined time. Similarly, God has revealed the time appointed for the end of this world."

Credit: Porapak Apichodilok

5,000,000,000 AD

So, enough with the vague guessing games. What do the majority today's scientists say about the end of the world? They reckon that in a few billion years, our sun will turn into a red monster, becoming 250 times bigger and even swallowing up the earth, along with all of us, of course. Another group of experts believe that in a million years, earth will undergo a supervolacnic eruption, big enough to erupt 3,200 km3 of magma, while a third group claim that in 500 million years, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will drop dramatically, making our planet inhabitable.

Just how near doomsday actually is is open to debate, but ultimately it seems that whatever happens, the end is nigh for humankind. It's been a pleasure knowing you all.